Potassium:Sodium Ratios. My Experience And Theory

[Obi-wan]

I fail to see how potassium is more important than sodium from what you just shared. Please elaborate.

I also don't understand why aldosterone is tasked with conserving sodium at the expense of potassium. Why would it do so if potassium is more important than sodium?

Intracellular potassium to keep membrane potential high. Heavy crop production rapidly depletes the soil of potassium. Due to nitrogen fertilization of plants they do not uptake potassium or magnesium. Did you see the RDA for potassium. 4,700mg of potassium for males that are 14 years old and older. Most Americans consume only half that amount per day.

Biochemical function[edit]
Potassium levels influence multiple physiological processes, including[53][54][55]

• resting cellular-membrane potential and the propagation of action potentials in neuronal, muscular, and cardiac tissue. Due to the electrostatic and chemical properties, K+
  ions are larger than Na+
  ions, and ion channels and pumps in cell membranes can differentiate between the two ions, actively pumping or passively passing one of the two ions while blocking the other.[56]
• hormone secretion and action
• vascular tone
• systemic blood pressure control
• gastrointestinal motility
• acid–base homeostasis
• glucose and insulin metabolism
• mineralocorticoid action
• renal concentrating ability
• fluid and electrolyte balance

Sodium

In humans, sodium is an essential mineral that regulates blood volume, blood pressure, osmotic equilibrium and pH; the minimum physiological requirement for sodium is 500 milligrams per day.[77] Sodium chloride is the principal source of sodium in the diet, and is used as seasoning and preservative in such commodities as pickled preserves and jerky; for Americans, most sodium chloride comes from processed foods.[78] Other sources of sodium are its natural occurrence in food and such food additives as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrite, sodium saccharin, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and sodium benzoate.[79] The US Institute of Medicine set its Tolerable Upper Intake Level for sodium at 2.3 grams per day,[80] but the average person in the United States consumes 3.4 grams per day

I think we over consume sodium and under consume potassium causing an imbalance. Both are important. I am interested in proper membrane potential.

 

[Obi-wan]

I don't know about the urination frequency either. I think the more you go the worse it is, but not exactly sure the gritty details on it. I also think the PH thing is not so simple. I am taking a lot of acidic minerals, and it seems to be balancing me out. I know you can have acidosis in one place and a corresponding alkalosis in another. I also know that infections, virus, and other harmful things can push your body in a PH direction to fight those. If they are chronic issues, you can have a PH that is off for a long time, and it is not necessarily a bad thing, just an adaptation of your body trying to get rid of a problem. I eat plenty of salt, have for years, and I tend to think it is hard to get low on salt unless you really try, and potassium is probably more important to supplement.

Lactic acid pushes the extracellular fluid into a acid or low PH. Just drinking alcohol can do this. Sodium bicarbonate will change the PH of urine quickly but I noticed it takes more potassium bicarbonate to do the same...

 

[ImprovingDaily]

Those are not good signs. High potassium. Adrenalin rushes. How do you describe your adrenalin rush? High heart rate? It seems like you have a problem metabolizing sugar well and this could be leading to acid-base imbalances arising from production of lactic acid and/or ketoacids (from fatty acid oxidation). The shift towards an acidic pH in the blood makes the cell lose integrity in keeping potassium and magnesium in, and sodium and calcium out. Good sugar metabolism involves the production of CO2 as a byproduct, and the CO2 as it exits the cell (as carbonic acid) carries with it
calcium and sodium. In faulty sugar metabolism, lactic acid is produced instead of CO2, and calcium increases inside the cell and this leads to calcification. As calcium enters cells, potassium leaves.

Also, there is the matter of electrolytes and whether you are deficient in any of them-magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium- but that is less immediate a concern as the body adapts to it.

Right now, you may want to get an idea first of your metabolic state- body temperature, heart rate. Find out if you are hypothyroid. Then take steps accordingly. It starts with changing your food lifestyle, and taking some supplements to turn your body over to mitochondrial respiration of sugar.

Yeah, high heart rate, feeling out of breath. I definitely agree that it's not a good sign, but compared to where I was, I feel I'm much better and know much more about what the issue is. Overly stressing doesn't help, just makes things worse, so I'm taking it for what it is, and I'm hopeful i can find the answer. Another issue I've been having is dizziness which can accompany the high heart rate. The Magnesium seems to really help with it, so theres something there. I also notice it tends to get exacerbated by estrogen lowering things like Progesterone, but I think that may be because its increasing my sugar oxidizing needs and I cant keep up. Maybe the magnesium is helping me burn sugar more efficiently or some other reason.

My current theory on what's going on is that I'm not oxidizing the sugar well or it's not going into the cell, maybe insulin resistance. DHEA and other androgens seems to help with the dizziness and lightheadedness, but theres need to be more experimentation. Other things like quinones help from time to time but not consistently, so I think the limiting factor is somewhere else. Maybe a missing nutrient. Focusing on increasing insulin sensitivity, maybe getting brewers yeast for the minerals and vitamins.

 

[Braveheart]

BTW ... Potassium RDA by the WHO and the EU is 3500 mg...what's behind the US 4700 mg?... EU Ca 800 and Mag 300...did pressure from the dairy industry raise the levels in US to 1200 and 410 ??...wouldn't be surprised.

 

[X3CyO]

Well, most other land mammals besides humans consume a Na⁺/K⁺ratios between 1∶7 and 1∶20 and appear quite strong. Carnivores do as well, in general, as beef has a 1∶5 ratio and they occasionally eat plants.

After following a carnivore-esque diet Ive concluded yes, salt is actually quite disgusting now, and steak is pretty great just plain and rare. Tastes salty enough by itself personally. Just have to make sure its dried a little so it can be fried rather than boiled.

Im guessing that the issue was with specifically bananas as well as potassium chloride rather than potassium in and of itself. Perhaps that was also amplified by too much sugar. Or too much fiber.

Im not sure, but I can say that so far it seems personally now that salt is more of a cultural thing.
Maybe its because it raises uric acid, without removing phosphate from the body like sugar.

 

[Jon]

Im not sure, but I can say that so far it seems personally now that salt is more of a cultural thing.
Maybe its because it raises uric acid, without removing phosphate from the body like sugar.

That's interesting. I also eat about 7oz of meat a day along with 2 whole eggs and about 3oz of low fat string cheese and I find I can't really salt my food much or I get tinnitus and edema. Glad to know I'm not the only one who finds too much added salt doesn't work for them.

 

[Obi-wan]

I have been experimenting with ACV, sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. SB gives me energy and PB kind of makes me feel fatigued. So I decide to combine the ACV/SB/PB and like the mix producing a sodium/potassium acetate. This will combine with CoA and form acetyl-CoA and feed the Krebs cycle. Both inner potassium and outer sodium keep the cell at a potential. Hopefully a -70 to -80 mV resting potential. In regards to Glycolysis you need PDH to convert Pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. Thiamine (Vit. B1) upregulates PDH. @ImprovingDaily try a 100mg capsule of B1 and a glass of Mexi coke and see the results...Lactic acid causes brain fog, Carbon dioxide gets rid of it

 

[Mito]

what's behind the US 4700 mg?

Effect of increased potassium intake on cardiovascular risk factors and disease: systematic review and meta-analyses